Other Facilities

Additional Cancer Center Info

A TEAM APPROACH TO CARE

In most cases, a cancer patient’s care will require an integrated approach using many different medical disciplines. Utilizing a team approach to care, the Cancer Center at OVMC is supported by a number of hospital departments including:

Nursing Staff–Experience and Compassion

Our registered nurses are experienced in caring for cancer patients and understand the questions and concerns that accompany cancer. You can be sure the information you’ll receive will be current and accurate. Whether you’d like to know how chemotherapy works, wondering what you can do to prevent cancer, or simply want to schedule an appointment, our nurses are happy to help you with any questions or concern you may have. 

CANCER CENTER SURGEONS

GENETIC COUNSELING

The cancer genetic evaluation program is designed to help people understand their risk for having an inherited cancer syndrome in their family. By assessing personal and family history of cancer, our staff can coordinate genetic testing for breast, colon and melanoma cancer types. Through this evaluation, we can help determine the risk and understand the options available to each of our patients. Testing is now covered by most insurances. Please call 304-234-1753 for inquiries.

INPATIENT ONCOLOGY UNIT

Patients requiring admission for chemotherapy treatment, complications of cancer, pain management, end-of-life care and those requiring surgical intervention as part of their treatment plan are cared for on the 16-bed Inpatient Oncology Unit. The unit has flexible visiting hours, and family members are encouraged to spend as much time with the patient as they desire.

PATHOLOGY

The Department of Pathology at Ohio Valley Medical Center offers state-of-the-art diagnostic testing in anatomic and clinical pathology. Our full-service laboratory is accredited by the American College of Pathologists and the American Association of Blood Banks. We are proud to employ the only board-certified hematopatholgist in the tri-state area. This specialization provides diagnosis of both non-neoplastic and neoplastic lymphoid and hematopoietic disorders.

PERSONALIZED SUPPORT SERVICES

We understand that there is much more to a cancer patient’s life than his or her disease and that there’s more to cancer care than medical treatment. That’s why we offer a variety of crucial support programs that provide patients and their families with the tools needed to meet the psychological, social and spiritual challenges related to cancer or its treatment.

• Lymphedema Therapy: Lymphedema services available to appropriate patients by consult. Manual mobilization, self-message, ROM, and teaching a home exercise program are each elements of the lymphedema program.
• Nutritional Support: Cancer patients have special nutritional needs and issues related to eating. Our dietitians provide information to help maintain your health and cope with treatment.
• Chaplain Services and Spiritual Support: Body, mind and spirit must work together to fight cancer. Our chaplain services are available 24 hours a day to guide patients through difficult times.
• Financial Counseling: Fighting cancer is tough enough without having to fight for the care you need. Our financial counselor can help with financial planning. For more information, call 304-234-8535.
  

PHARMACY

Responsible for drug dosage circulation and the preparation of various types of chemotherapy agents specifically individualized to each cancer patient, our pharmacists remain active in reviewing the newest chemotherapeutic agents available so that the most up-to-date medications can be utilized.

PHYSICAL THERAPY AND REHABILITATION

Physical therapy and occupational therapy are available on an inpatient and outpatient basis to aid in general strengthening, ADL care, home-safety assessments and treatment recommendations.

RADIATION

In most cases, we also offer interventional radiology services including CT and ultrasound-guided, minimally invasive surgical services, and live liver or lung biopsy. Medical imaging at OVMC includes diagnostic X-ray, CAT scanning, nuclear medicine scans, MRI, and mammography. State-of-the-art equipment includes PET- CT, which produces a 3-D image by combining PET and CAT scanning images in a single exam.

RADIOLOGY THERAPY

Now the most advanced, precise forms of radiation treatment are available at the Cancer Center at OVMC. These state-of-the-art treatment modalities include intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

OVMC enhanced its radiation oncology services with the installation of a new, state-of-the-art linear accelerator to provide patients with an advanced form of radiation therapy called intensity modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT. The ONCOR Linear Accelerator is the latest and most technologically advanced accelerator in the area.

IMRT precisely targets radiation to the shape and thickness of a tumor to treat cancer cells while minimizing the dose of radiation received by healthy tissues that surround the tumor. The process enables the radiation oncologist to give a higher radiation dose. This results in fewer adverse side effects for patients undergoing treatment and can significantly improve their quality of life compared to those receiving standard radiation therapy.

The IMRT technology in conjunction with high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR) and conventional beam therapy will ensure OVMC provides the most technically advanced radiation treatments in the Ohio Valley.

ONE CONVENIENT LOCATION

With patient comfort and convenience in mind, the Cancer Center at OVMC is equipped with a CT scanner, state-of-the-art computers, and all services available in one location. An experienced team of medical physicists, dosimetrists and radiotherapists are dedicated to providing outstanding care to the patients they serve.

 SOCIAL SERVICES

Patients and their families are provided information about community resources, financial assistance, support service, in-home care resources, as well as emotional support and guidance. Spiritual, cultural and social values that influence a patient’s perceptions are taken into consideration to provide appropriate interventions.